


Real Glad

by BiBitchBee



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining David Jacobs, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:14:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25541920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiBitchBee/pseuds/BiBitchBee
Summary: David liked to think about the girl he matched with also running her fingers over the ink when nervous, as something that connected them. He thought about his soulmate often. She would be nice, kind, beautiful. He had a plan. He always had a plan.Jack Kelly had ruined his plan.
Relationships: Albert DaSilva/Racetrack Higgins, Crutchie/Finch (Newsies), David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Romeo/Specs (Newsies), Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer
Comments: 3
Kudos: 85





	Real Glad

David had always stared at his mark. It was a tree, a tall back tree that started on the inside of his elbow and grew into his wrist. The roots wrapped around his arm, and singular leaves poked out into his palm. It had always been hiden by his shirt at school. Les had a bright green angel wing on the side of his neck. Sarah had a dark blue pen behind her left ear. His parents had matching purple crowns on the pads of their pinkie fingers. He thought all marks were especially interesting, but he had always loved his.

He would stare at it in class, pulling up his sleeve to trace the roots as his mind wandered. Les liked it too, when he couldn't fall asleep. He would pull at David's arm until he pulled up his sleeve and let the little boy run his fingers over the leaves. David liked to think about the girl he matched with also running her fingers over the ink when nervous, as something that connected them. He thought about his soulmate often. She would be nice, kind, beautiful. He had a plan. He always had a plan.

Jack Kelly had ruined his plan. When their father was laid off, David and Les had to become newsies. It was the only way for them to scrape by. Sarah worked part-time at a flower shop near by and still attended school. Les was very excited by the new life, David not so much. But it gave David a new outlet, asking about people's marks. It alkso opened him to a whole new world. 

Because within the newsies, there were a couple of boys who had already found their soulmates- with eachother. Crutchie and Finch proudly bore little thunderclouds on the back of their hands. Specs and Romeo had daisies on their noses. Race and Albert had gold coins on their stomach's. The two quickly fell into the newsie life, and Jack was their selling partner.

Jack, with his dark brown hair that David had never once seen without the light grey newscap, his hazel eyes that always sparked with delight when he was joking around with the boys, his persistence in calling David "Davey" to the point where one of the younger kids didn't know David was his real name, his strong jaw that hardened with anger when the Delancey's slung insults at them, and the knuckles that seemed often bruised for ' _defending our honor, Davey! I couldn't just let thems talk 'bout us like that.'_ David couldn't help but befriend him.

But then somehow, with the power in his eyes and his passion, Jack had dragged David into striking. He had to tell his family, already scraping by, that the two boys were not working for their money. His father didn't talk to him for days. Then, when the real fight started and they took Crutchie- poor, beaten, bloody Crutchie, crying out for Finch and for Jack- to the Refuge, Jack had run. They all had, really. But Jack didn't return to the Lodging House as expected. 

It took longer than it needed to find him, but David had known. Miss Medda's theatre was his safe place, after his own head. He had convinced Katherine to hold Les back when he went in to find out if Jack was there and when he entered-

No fucking way. Jack was there, all right. Painting and wearing just his undershirt. Which revealed Jack's mark. A tall black tree that started on the inside of his elbow and grew up to his wrist.

It stunned David, but he kept his wits about him. He could only pray Les would keep his mouth shut when he entered. ("It's beautiful," Katherine had said when she saw it, lightly running her fingers over the leaves on his wrist. David felt a ghost of her fingers on his own wrist and did his best not to shudder. Once attention was brought to it, Les looked over at his brother with big eyes. David shook his head quickly, and they moved on.) After that, it didn't take long for the strike to end. 

They quickly settled into a new normal, with Katherine often visiting and hanging around. One day, David and Katherine were alone along the street as they waited on Jack. "What's your mark?" He asked. Kath had smiled and lifted her hair to reveal a dark blue pen behind her left ear. His eyes bulged. "Kath, I don't want to freak you out but that's... that's my sister's mark." 

"Your... sister?" She asked, running a finger over the ink. "Sister, that's Sarah, right?" He nodded and she smiled slightly. "Sarah... would I be able to come over for dinner sometime soon?" He had smiled, nodded, Jack had come bounding out of the Lodging House, and that was that. Katherine had come to their house for dinner a few days later and revealed what David had told her. Soon, Kath and Sarah were dating. David wished he had the same gusto.

One night, om a particularly light nate trying to sell some more papers, David and Les were sleeping at the Lodging house. Jack had sweet-talked the landlord into letting them sleep free of charge. Les shared a bed with Racetrack, and Jack offered up his bunk, but David had refused. "Jack, just take your own bed. I'll sleep on the roof." He had insisted, and Jack begrudgingly agreed. He had, however, insisted on going up to the roof with David.

"We'll watch the sun go down." He'd said, his accent thick. It made David smile, but he quickly had to reel in the thoughts running around in his head. They quickly climbed up to the roof and watched the pinkening sky descend into darkness. In the starlight, David couldn't help but look at the boy he'd fallen for. But whenever Jack's head turned even slightly David's eyes snapped back to the stars. "Hey, Davey?

David hummed in acknowledgment, not daring to take his eyes off the Big Dipper.

"How come I 'aint ever seen your mark?" David's breath hitched and he finally looked at Jack, to see his eyes were already on him. "I know you'se seen mine. I know you'se seen all o' ours. Hell, I'se seen Sarah's and Les' more than I'se seen yours." 

David hadn't realized how close they were until he could feel Jack's breath. "Jackie, I don't..." he started, but the weak protest had died on his lips. He sighed and pulled away from Jack. The hazel eyes he'd learned to love dropped and the light dimmed. David put his hand on his sleeve and started to pull up. He was internally panicking because _what the hell why the fuck am I doing this what the hell he's gonna hate me he's gonna hate me he's gonna hate me_

When the sleeve finally was down, David moved to show Jack and the shorter boy's breath audibly hitched. "You means..." Jack started, but no other words came out. David put lowered his eyes to his lap. "'Ey, Davey," Jack's strong hand pulled his jaw until David met his eyes.

"I'm really sorry, Jackie," David said, voice more broken and desperate then he would care to admit. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, that I lied to you, that you're stuck with someone like me, can't even get up the nerve to talk to my soulmate. Such a failure, can't sell papes, can't be a good brother, can't do anything right, I'm such a-"

Abruptly, Jack slammed his lips onto David's. He pulled away fairly quickly, though he still was breathless. "No one talks about my Davey like that," he whispered as they leaned their foreheads together. "You'se amazing, you know that? You led the strike against Pullitzer, you take care a' these boys here, and you've always been there for me. You ain't a failure, and you'se the best damn brother I've ever seen. You are amazing, Davey Jacobs and I ain't stuck with ya, I'm happy you'se my soulmate."

David smiled and brought him in by his collar to kiss him again. "I'm so glad I met you, Jack Kelly." Jack closed his eyes and leaned against his shoulder, turning back out to the stars. David pressed a quick kiss to his soulmate's hairline. Jack traced his fingers lightly over the large tree on David's arm before interlocking their fingers.

"I'm glad I met you too, Dave," Jack mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes and letting sleep overtake him. "Real glad."


End file.
